All of our Artist’s Lectures and Exhibitions are free and open to the public.

Many of the children attending our Saturday School and Summer Art Camp are awarded merit-based tuition scholarships.

Individual staff and faculty members contribute their time and artwork to worthy community endeavors such as the annual public television art and antiques auction.

In a vital partnership with ArtsMemphis, MCA helps facilitate the Arts in the Schools program where practicing artists hold free workshops for students in the local public schools.

The college offers a year-long Advanced Placement class for especially gifted high school artists at no cost to the students.

You will find MCA any place in the community where art can make a difference. If you would like to involve MCA students in a special project, click here to submit your request.

MEMPHIS COLLEGE OF ART COMMUNITY OUTREACH PROGRAMS:

Exhibitions, Tours and Demonstrations.
MCA exhibitions and demonstrations run all year long at three different locations and consist of a wide variety of art ranging from the first-year student studio display to Horn Island wilderness sculpture. All exhibitions, tours, and demonstrations are free of charge and open to the public.

Visiting Artists Lecture Series.
The Visiting Artists Lecture Series brings artists, scholars, and critics to interact with the College and the community it serves. These lectures are free of charge and open to the public.

Teacher Recertification Classes.
MCA offers studio credit coursework to area teachers through the graduate education program. Courses offered are for 3 college credit hours each and are offered at a special discounted rate for teaching professionals.

City and County Art Teacher In-service Programs.
Two days each year in August and February, MCA hosts art-in-service workshops to local area teachers and faculty. These all day workshops are 100% subsidized by MCA.

Advanced Placement Vertical Team Workshops for Memphis City School Teachers.
MCA conducts free workshops to train teachers in various methods of teaching accelerated art courses to high school students.

Career Days in City and County Schools.
MCA sends highly qualified representatives to local area high schools and middle schools to discuss art careers with prospective art students. Participation in city and county career days occurs approximately 20 times per year.

Advanced Placement Art Classes.
Scholarship classes are offered to high school students from across the region for college credit through the College Board. These classes are offered by MCA free of charge to participating students.

Target House.
MCA faculty and students volunteer to work with children from St. Jude undergoing treatment for cancer at Target House. These children are encouraged to explore their creative side through arts and crafts.

Saturday School.
Generations of Memphians, young and not so young, have enjoyed a variety of courses provided nearly every Saturday throughout the year. Courses range from the making of small ceramic vases to the creation of large, multi-colored murals – and everything in between.

Summer Art Camp.
For four weeks in June and July, campers are given the opportunity to obtain hands-on experience in painting, drawing, clay, paper/book, cartooning, photo, and more. The MCA summer art adventure encourages children of all ages to explore, think, communicate, and create.Community Education Scholarships for Youth.
Scholarships are awarded annually in an effort to make art camp and art education accessible to many youths from across the community who might not otherwise have the opportunity.Three National Portfolio Days in Memphis, Charlotte and New Orleans.
Representatives from MCA travel to Charlotte and New Orleans throughout the year to provide college information to high school students and conduct portfolio review. In Memphis, MCA hosts this event.

Triennial TAEA (TN Art Education Association).
The Triennial is a 3-day annual conference hosted by MCA free of charge to local area educators and includes teacher workshops and vendor and visiting artist displays.

WTAEA (West Tennessee Art Education Association).
WTNAEA is an annual 2-day conference hosted by MCA free of charge to educators based in west Tennessee and includes teacher workshops and vendor and visiting artist displays.

National Art Education Association State Presidents Meeting.
MCA hosts all state college presidents at a meeting to discuss the state of college affairs. This meeting is 100% subsidized by MCA.

Developing Graduate Program (MFA).
The MCA 2-year graduate program offers a unique generative environment, the goal of which is to fully integrate the individual, material, intellectual and economic components of artistic life into a sustainable practice that contributes significantly to contemporary culture.

Nesin Graduate School
Located at 477 South Main in the historic South Main Arts District, the newly opened Nesin Graduate School houses MCA’s MFA and Graduate Education Programs. It provides exhibition space to graduate candidates, and also hosts a wide variety of contemporary exhibitions.